Grade 9 SS- Canada in the Contemporary World
Unit #1: Diversity and Pluralism in Canada
Chapter #1: Welcome to Canada
Key Terms:
Stateless
Immigration
Permanent Resident
Push/pull factors
Refugees
Naturalization
Pluralism
Human Rights
Constitution
Topography
Demography
Sovereignty
Becoming a Citizen in Canada
Question:
If someone found your wallet or purse, how much of your identity would
it reveal? How many cards do you have?
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As you get older, you will acquire many more cards. Probably, too many
to keep track of.
Types of Identify that you are Canadian:
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To work in Canada, you need a Social Insurance Number. This is a 9digit number that confirms your identity as a Canadian citizen.
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When you turn 18, you also will receive a provincial health card to
show you qualify for universal health care.
Lastly, a birth certificate may confirm your Canadian identity. Anyone
born (other then foreign diplomats) in Canada is ‘naturally’ a Canadian
citizen.
Citizenship
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As mentioned, citizenship can be obtained simply by being born in the
country.
The other way to obtain citizenship is by immigrating to the country.
20% of all Canadian citizens have done this.
Aboriginal People have their own citizenship to celebrate as well.
Although the Canadian government tried to assimilate them all long
ago, they have still not lost their identity.
o See quote on page 3 of textbook
o www.emp.ca/ccw
Immigration: Who gets in and how?
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Peoples’ decisions to leave or go to a country are decided by push/pull
factors.
o Example: WW2 and Russian occupation pushed many people out
of Eastern Europe in the 1940’s. Opportunities of living in a
war-free country pulled them to Canada.
Examples of Push/Pull Factors
Push Factors
War
Political Problems
Famine
Overcrowding
Lack of work
Persecution
Pull Factors
Peace
Good government
Lot’s of food
Available Land
Jobs
Rights and Freedoms
Question: How do you think people get in to Canada?
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A federal department, called the (CIC- Citizenship and Immigration
Canada) decides who gets in to the country.
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Immigrants apply for permanent residence under something called the
Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (2002).
o People are divided into certain classes based on this act:
1. Skilled worker
2. Business
3. Family
4. International Adoption
5. Quebec-Selected Immigration
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Immigrants must pay a fee, have a medical examination, funds to
cover living expenses for a period of 6 months, and documentation
showing employment or education.
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Refugees: are people who have fled persecution, and sometimes the
threat of death, in their home countries because of their race,
religion, or political beliefs.
o If a person’s claims are true, they are granted asylum in Canada,
and can then apply for their permanent resident cards.
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Naturalization: Is the process an immigrant goes through in which
they get used to the new country they are living in. This includes
becoming a citizen.
Criteria for Canadian Citizenship
To apply, a person must:
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Be 18 years of age or older (parents apply for those under 18)
Be a permanent resident of Canada
Have lived in Canada for three of the previous four years
Be able to communicate in English or French
Know about Canada’s history, geography, and political systems
Know about rights and responsibilities of citizenship.
A person cannot apply if he or she:
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Is considered to be a risk to Canada’s security
Is under a deportation order to leave Canada
Has been convicted of a serious criminal offence in the past 3 years.
Is in prison, on parole, or on probation
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Is being investigated for or has been convicted of war crimes
Had his or citizenship revoked in the last 5 years
*85 percent of immigrants to Canada become citizens
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/story/2012/04/05/ottawacanadian-citizenship-denied-after-error-around-oath.html
The Citizenship Test
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This test is tough!
Those who do pass receive a notice to take an Oath of Citizenship.
Can be held anywhere, as long as a citizenship judge and an RCMP
officer are in attendance.
The oath (see page 6 of your text)
Simulation of the test: http://citizenshipsupport.ca/
The Broad New World of Citizenship
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Upon becoming a citizen, all people have rights and responsibilities to
follow Canadian laws
Rights
To vote and run for office
To apply for a Canadian passport
Rights may carry over into other
Commonwealth countries (Britain,
Australia, etc)
Responsibilities
To protect the environment
To respect the rights of others
To support Canadian beliefs and
values
Citizenship and Honor
Question: Is Canadian citizenship a right or a privilege?
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For immigrants, this is obvious. It’s a privilege because they have to
apply.
o If someone lies to get citizenship, it can be revoked.
o If they are deemed a threat to Canada, they can also be
deported.
o This is a process called denaturalization
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Case of Ernst Zundel (deportation)
o Man who was a permanent resident in Canada
o For many years, he published hate literature against the Jewish
people and questioned whether the Holocaust really happened.
o In 2005, he was deported back to Germany and put on trial.
Questions:
1) Create a diagram showing the steps to becoming a citizen of Canada.
2) Research the Internet for some of the restrictions placed on noncitizens experience in Canada. Do you think the restrictions are too
strict or not strict enough?
3) Use a web-design to show what the terms ‘stateless,’ ‘immigration,’
‘refugee,’ and ‘push-pull factors’ might mean for
a. An immigrant
b. An eighth generation (lived in Canada for a long time) Frenchspeaking Canadian
c. An aboriginal person
d. A refugee person seeking asylum in Canada
Human Rights and Canadian Citizenship
The United Nations and Human Rights
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Following WW2, 51 countries decided to create an organization that
would promote peace.
o This was called The United Nations, which was created in 1945.
Today, this organization has 191 member countries.
The UN is not a government. It cannot enforce decisions.
o Therefore, it must rely entirely on cooperation of other
countries in order for it to work.
The UN bases its decisions off of the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights.
This declaration caused many laws and regulations to be changed in
Canada. As we shall see, there was much discrimination against:
o Aboriginal people
o Immigrants who were not of European descent
Human Rights in Canada
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In 1948 when the UDHR was released, Canada did not have a bill of
rights for its people. Naturally, people began to demand one.
o 1960: the Bill of Rights was passed. But it had little power as
the provinces were not included, so it did not apply to provincial
laws.
o 1982: The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms was passed.
 The Charter legally guarantees democratic rights,
language rights, and the rights of minorities.
 “Equality before the law and under the law”- Means that
all laws passed must abide by the charter.
Questions
1) Create a collage of people, places, and symbols that reflect what it
means to be Canadian.
2) Design a Charter of Rights and Responsibilities for your classroom.
3) Merhan Karimi Nasseri refugee claims
 What role do you think the UN should play in helping stateless people
such as Nasseri?
The Terminal:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciByvddyHBs
http://www.dailyedge.ie/man-living-in-venezuelan-airport-disappears463726-May2012/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mehran_Karimi_Nasseri
4) Nominate a Canadian to become the next head of the UN. Hold a class
vote after all the nominations are presented.
Introducing the Geography of Canada
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Canada is a large and immense country. Only Russia is larger in total
landmass.
Because it is a northern country, 90% of the land has a growing season
that is too short of large agriculture production.
Lastly, Canada is separated from all other countries in the world by
great distances, other then the United States.
Size, northern location and isolation help to explain Canadian’s history
and identity.
Events
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The migration from northern Asia of Aboriginal peoples into and
through Canada
The interest shown in Canada by the English and French since the
1500’s
The large scale immigration of people in the 1900’s.
Canada fought in two world wars without facing any real danger of
attack. (this says a lot about who we are)
Questions:
1) It has been joked that “Canada has too much geography.” Explain what
this statement means to you.
2) Imagine what it would be like if your school were a one-room
schoolhouse. Now picture your school being housed in the MTS Centre
in Winnipeg. How would each of these locations affect your ability to
connect with
a. Your friends
b. Your teachers
Create a chart listing the positive and negative effects that these
locations would have on your school community.
Canada: Physical Geography
The geography of Canada is often broken down into 5 components:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
Landforms
Soils
Surface waters
Climate
Vegetation
These 5 components vary considerably from place to place.
Landforms and Soils
Canada is the product of 3 primary geologic developments:
1) The Canadian Shield was formed over 2 million years ago when several
small pieces of continents collided together. This area is very rocky
and mostly granite.
2) Mountain ranges formed around the shield. These include the Rockies,
the Appalachians and the Innutians.
3) The deposition of sediments in the shallow seas (eg- where Melita is
located today)
Landscape was also affected by glaciation. 1.5 million years ago, almost all of
Canada was under ice. Only 1 percent of it is under ice today.
Physiographic Regions of Canada (page 14) done as a jigsaw activity
All of the following regions are defined by topography (surface landforms)
1) The Canadian Shield
Provinces included: Quebec, Ontario, northern Manitoba and
Saskatchewan, Nunavut, and more then half of the Northwest
Territories.
Landscape is very rugged with rock outcrops, bogs, muskeg, drumlins,
eskers, and lake basins.
Soils are very poor, thin and acidic
Natural resources include: forest and mineral deposits.
2) Western Cordillera
Includes the Coastal and Rocky Mountain Ranges
Landscape is very deeply dissected and eroded, with many peaks and
valleys
Soils are limited to the valley regions
Natural resources include forest, minerals, and hydroelectric power
3) Appalachians
Very old mountain range that has eroded into rolling hills
Glacial landforms are common
Soils are mostly poor and quite swampy
Natural resources include coal
4) Innutians
Located very far to the north
Very rugged and isolated mountain area characterized by glaciers and
ice fields
5) Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Lowlands
Characterized by sedimentary rocks
Natural resources include: fertile soils, construction materials, hydropower.
6) Interior Plains
Sedimentary rocks also underlie this region
Landforms are diverse: flat areas, rolling hills and valleys created by
glacial meltwater.
From east to west, the prairies increase in elevation.
Natural resources include: farming, minerals, oil and gas.
7) Hudson Bay Lowlands
A level area characterized by muskeg and poor drained areas.
There are very few natural resources
8) Arctic Lowlands
Is a series of low islands.
Natural resources include fossil fuels
Surface Waters
Drainage Basins: show where all water flows towards or into.
This is important because rivers are often used for transportation routes
and other economic activities such as hydroelectricity, fishing and industrial
use.
Climate and Natural Vegetation
Four factors explain why different parts of Canada has different climates:
1) Latitude: temperatures decrease from south to north because of the
amount of energy the Earth receives from the sun.
2) Distance from the oceans: Continental climates mean hot summers and
cold winters, while Oceanic climates mean warm summer and cool
winters (moderating effect).
3) Prevailing air movement: Weather patterns move in a west to east
pattern. Same reason why our toilets flush one way. The Coriolis
effect.
Climate Regions of Canada
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Are characterized by long-term averages of temperature and
precipitation.
7 climate regions:
1) The Arctic: light snowfall, high winds, and long periods of low
temperatures. Vegetation is limited to the tundra.
2) The Subarctic: very cold winters and warm summers. Vegetation is
boreal forest with many open areas.
3) The Pacific: has high rainfall, with mild winters and cool summers.
Vegetation is mostly coastal rainforest.
4) The Cordillera: has temperatures that vary widely with elevation, with
most of the precipitation to the south.
5) The Prairies: has light precipitation, with very cold winters and hot
summers. This is a grassland and parkland zone.
6) The Great Lakes-St. Lawrence: has high humidity, with warm
summers and cold winters. Natural vegetation is broadleaf and mixed
forest. Most Canadians live in this zone.
7) The Atlantic: has high precipitation with cool winters and warm
summers. Region is a mixed and boreal forest.
Questions:
1) List the three geological developments that have affected Canada’s
physiography.
2) List the eight physiographic regions of Canada
3) List four factors that explain why different parts of Canada have
different climates.
4) List the seven climate regions of Canada
5) How might physiography and climate relate to economic activity and
settlement patterns across Canada?
Canada: Human Geography
Figure 1.9 shows the unequal distribution of people in Canada
Canada’s Population Increase Since 1867
Demography: Is the scientific study of population.
It can refer to actual numbers, which gets confusing and misleading.
This is why we use things called rates.
Natural Increase: is the numerical difference between the number of births
and the number of deaths that occur in a population in a given period.
At Confederation (1867): Canada had 3.4 million people. Since then,
population has increased two ways:
1) Natural Increase
2) Immigration
From 1901-1921- population growth exploded in Canada (aside from WW11914-1918)
1921-1951- Population growth slows considerably. Nobody immigrates to
Canada because of the Great Depression (1930’s) and WW2 (1940’s).
Question:
Look at period between 1951-1971. What do you notice about the rate of
natural increase in this time period?
*This is a period we refer to as the ‘baby boom.’ The economy was strong,
and men were just coming home from war. The birth of babies exploded in
this time.
Canadian Population Today
The rate of natural increased has slowed down in Canada today. People are
having fewer children.
Why?
- Women are deciding to have children later in life, as their education
and careers are an important priority.
- Canada has industrialized so fewer children are needed to help out on
the farm.
Canada’s population rate may actually decline if it wasn’t for immigrants
arriving everyday.
The Political Geography of Canada
Question
Do you think Canada is uniform in regards to politics? Or is there some
divisions that can be seen amongst the provinces, regions, or even specific
cultural groups?
4 Political Divisions that exist:
1) Aboriginal People and The Rest of Canada:
What’s the issue: Aboriginal people were inhabitants of Canada first,
so naturally they have claims to the land. The rest of Canada does not
always agree with this.
2) French People and the Rest of Canada:
What’s the issue: The French have always felt as though their culture
is threatened. There have been movements to try and break away
from Canada to form another country.
3) Federal/Provincial Division
What’s the issue: The Federal government in power at Ottawa may be
a completely different party from the one in power at the provincial
level. Often, there is a struggle for power between the two levels.
Decentralization: is the movement of power away from the federal
government towards the provincial level.
4) Traditional and Changing Face of Canadian Identity:
Traditionally, Canada was based on English, First Nations and French
cultures. Today, this is changing. Instead of ‘assimilating’ cultures into
a Canadian identity, we have adopted multi-culturalism. Some people
do not agree with this policy.
Questions:
1) List two components of Canadian population change through time.
2) Identify the ten-year periods when immigration into Canada was
relatively high, and suggest why these periods occurred.
3) Canadians hold different views about our future.
a. List the four divisions evident in Canada.
b. Which of the four divisions poses the greatest challenge to
Canada, and why?
c. Which group, or groups do you identify with, and why?
Review Questions
1) What level of government must you contact if you would like to
become a Canadian citizen?
Chapter 2- How Do you Define Citizenship?